An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

For example the AIDS epidemic has an international as well as a local response. Insocieties where there is no treatment or people cannot afford medical care, a diagnosis isadeath sentence. Before a diagnosis or a label is given to the person who feels ill, death isnot imminent; they may refuse to consult with a health professional for fear of being toldthey have HIV/AIDS. When they do seek medical assistance and have a name to theirillness (death sentence) only the immediate family is allowed to know at the discretion ofthe sufferer and their doctor. HIV/AIDS is one such condition where people can have thedisease without feeling ill for a very long time.In my professional experience there are many people who claim to be ill as an attentionsee exercise. For example when I wor ed in a children‟s ward there was a young girlwho claimed to be constantly in pain, although she was given all the available painkillers,the pain persisted. Her parents shouted at the doctors and nurses to do something to helptheir daughter. When I spent some time talking to the child, she revealed that shecomplained of pain to get her mother‟s attention as her mother often ignored her. Althoughshe had a disease and was in some pain, she used this to compound her illness and to seekattention from her mother. Mothers who are under a lot of pressure sometimes complain ofheadache (migraine) so that they can opt out of their responsibilities, which they are thenallowed to do, as well as getting sympathy from the family. Without a physical conditionthat can be treated by a health professional, they would not be regarded as suffering andadopt the sick role as conceptualised by Parsons (1975).People with diseases such as Alzheimer‟s, HIV and AIDS, Cancer, though clearlysuffering, may choose to adopt or not to adopt the sick role. Their choice is dependent ontheir social and cultural conditioning as well as their individual ability to cope with the201